Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Fry
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"Urrp..."
Utterly vulgar.
This massive lump of flesh sprawled out in front of me like a starfish.
The human male, Kang Han-gyeol, had just shattered the silence of the Sinrim-dong rooftop room with that burp.
The guy was wearing the dumbest expression on the planet right now.
Greasy beef fat glistened at the corners of his mouth, and his unfocused eyes stared blankly at the fluorescent light on the ceiling.
Anyone looking at him would see a specimen of the most base and stupid primate, utterly devoid of intelligence.
'Pathetic.'
I let out a deep sigh and leaped onto his bulging belly.
Sploosh.
His gut jiggled like a waterbed.
To think that this lowly creature was playing the role of my 'master'.
If the old me—the master of golden wings that blotted out the sky, the king of the sun—saw this?
He probably wouldn't have even had time to think before incinerating this dump and the guy inside it with solar flames.
It was far too shabby and wretched a place for the jade body of a divine beast to touch.
But... it's warm.
The energy flowing from deep in his dantian is peculiar.
Unlike the turbid, polluted ki of modern humans.
Like a spring bubbling up from primordial forests, pure and pristine spiritual power endlessly wells up, soothing my depleted core.
The ultimate living elixir.
That was the one and only reason I'd decided not to burn this guy alive right then and there.
I was a king.
A great being who trod the earth with three legs, imbibing the sun's essence as I lorded over all creation.
The Three-legged Crow.
But that was before the tiresome Human-Yokai Great War broke out.
I also despise humans.
Down to my bones, from the depths of my soul, I scorn them.
The reason is plain as day.
They're vile.
They lick at your feet calling you a god when they need you, then the moment crisis strikes, they mercilessly use their own kin as bait and stab you in the back.
That nauseating nature where mothers sell their children and brothers push siblings into pits for survival.
Disgusted by that ugliness, I chose to fall myself.
I sided with the yokai to purge those arrogant fools in purifying flames.
But as they say, you can't fight the tide.
Exorcists coveting my power swarmed me, and to avoid annihilation, I sealed myself in an egg and slumbered for centuries.
The cold dirt floor of Gwanak Mountain.
There, I was slowly dying.
My solar flames were fading, my consciousness blurring.
I thought rotting away to become some beast's meal was to be my end.
"Huh? Is this... an egg?"
Some clumsy hand touched the eggshell.
It wasn't mere body heat.
The energy from that hand madly stimulated my withered core.
Instinctively, to survive, I clung to that energy.
"Just hatch... please."
Back then, I figured he was just a greedy human blinded by money.
Probably scheming to sell what he thought was a rare bird.
Humans are the type to sacrifice anything for their own gain, after all.
So when I hatched, I glared at him with contempt.
But do you know what this idiot's first words were upon seeing me?
"...Why are you a chicken? What was with that huge eggshell? False advertising? Nitrogen-packed egg?"
'...?!'
What? False advertising? Nitrogen-packed?
Daring to treat the sun's incarnation like a snack.
I was so flabbergasted I couldn't speak.
And then he named me 'Fry'.
After some pathetic human breakfast 'egg fritter'.
I wanted to peck him to death right then, but I was too weak to act.
So after hatching, I parasitized his pocket, hoarding my strength.
Once fully recovered, I'd burn this insolent human first and leave without regret.
But... this guy's weird.
The first night we met, we ran into a four-eyed yokai.
The worst of the low-grade ones—a glutton rat with nothing but appetite left.
Normal me would've erased it with a glance, but back then I was fresh out of the egg, a chick.
A normal human would've fled in terror or tossed me as bait and bolted.
That's the filthy survival instinct I'd seen from humans for millennia.
I was sure he'd abandon me.
But this guy was different.
The moment the monster's massive claw swung down at his head.
He screamed but didn't run.
Instead, he curled up, shielding 'me' in his padding pocket.
'Sorry.'
That trembling inner voice reached me through his heartbeat.
Even as he faced death, offering his back to protect a mere stray chick.
It didn't add up.
Did he think his life was worth less than a chick's?
'...This crazy human.'
It shocked me.
An action that defied logic.
A choice against instinct.
This one was defective as a human.
And that defect piqued the interest of this king, bored for centuries.
How dare some lowly pest lay a hand on my possession.
That night, I burned that stray ghost to ash.
My first act of mercy toward this human.
What came after was even more absurd.
When that female human Seo Hwa-rin showed up demanding if he'd started the fire, he brazenly lied.
Thanks to that, he dodged a 70,000 won fine, but he griped about the injustice while hiding my existence to the end.
Coming home hungry, he was about to eat sausages, so I snatched and grilled them.
Out of conscience, I gave him some back, and he lit up, babbling on about how good they were.
"Hey, wanna... open a BBQ joint or something?"
Ha. Treating a great divine beast like a grilling machine.
But... those sausages were pretty tasty.
So I let it slide.
And a few days ago, the Bukhansan abandoned orchard incident.
When the Giant Silkworm appeared.
As the ground split and a house-sized bug burst out, his legs gave way, but he still tried to save the glasses-wearing guy nearby.
"Aaaah! Save me!"
Screaming his head off, yet reaching out to save someone else—that contradictory behavior.
Not knowing his place.
Unable to even save his own skin.
It was so ridiculous I had to step in again and burn those bugs.
[...How dare a puny bug.]
His face when he heard my incantation and fell over in shock.
In the end, he got 3.5 million won as reward and offered me hanwoo beef.
'Making me use up my hard-hoarded yokai power again... What a hassle of a human.'
If not for that hanwoo, I'd have immobilized him and drained his power dry long ago.
Things stayed busy after that.
Night after night, I secretly burned the glutton rats coming to steal my energy and his ki, all to keep this idiot from getting eaten in his sleep.
Couldn't have a scratch on my personal elixir.
That was all.
The funny part was when that female human came back with a scout offer.
"Annual salary: 100 million won."
Honestly, I thought he'd bite.
The guy goes nuts for money.
But he turned it down flat.
"I'm... a free spirit, you see."
What a laughable human.
A free spirit?
More like a cowardly soul.
But that choice was right.
Joining Ghost Gate would've exposed my identity eventually.
He'd unwittingly protected me once more.
But... the moment my thinking decisively changed was the Gapyeong millstone yokai incident a few days ago.
The instant that massive stone boulder spun, charging to grind people up.
He had a chance to run.
Ditch the laborers and bolt—he could've lived.
That would've been the 'smart' play.
Perfectly rational.
But he grabbed a rebar club and stood his ground.
"Now's the time!"
Trembling legs.
Back soaked in cold sweat.
Face pale with utter terror.
Yet he didn't retreat a single step.
That recklessness, jamming the rebar into the millstone's central axle hole.
In that moment, a very old memory flashed through my mind.
The 'foolish courage' to shatter willingly for something precious, even without power or hope of victory.
The faded value I'd once cherished and protected—it shone in this worthless NEET.
'Too wasteful to let him die.'
So I spread my wings.
Flew atop the rebar he'd jammed in, and struck down with my power.
Not mere physical force.
A blow infused with my yokai power.
KABOOM!
An explosion erupted.
I instinctively spread my wings and soared into the air.
But he couldn't dodge.
Swept by the blast wave, he was flung far into the cold Bukhan River.
Splash!
The dark river swallowed him whole.
Normal me would've clicked my tongue: "Tsk tsk, stupid fool," and turned away.
Human lives are lighter than flies, after all.
But...
'...!'
My breath caught unbidden.
A sickening drop in my chest.
Watching him vanish into the cold water, I—the great king of the sun—was pacing anxiously.
'Where are you? Come up. Please.'
I muttered inwardly without thinking.
Not because he's my meal ticket.
Not because he's my elixir.
Not for the hanwoo.
Just... I didn't want this honest idiot to vanish so pointlessly.
Why?
Why was I so shaken by the life or death of some lowly creature?
A moment later, he crawled out of the water, hacking and spitting it up.
I sighed in relief without realizing it.
And I had to admit it.
This guy was a different breed from the 'humans' I despised.
Too idiotic... to hate.
.
.
.
"Urrp."
Han-gyeol let out another massive burp, then grinned at me.
"Hey, Fry. We're loaded now. Ten million won! Ten million! What do you wanna eat tomorrow? Chicken? Pizza? Or more beef?"
His head was full of food, apparently.
Survived death by a hair, and he's yapping about eats.
Simple, desireless, cowardly as hell, yet doesn't back down when it counts.
"Pek. (Hanwoo.)"
I chirped curtly, and he nodded like he understood.
"Yeah, hanwoo. Your tastes are top-shelf. Who'd you get that from?"
Who else? The king's palate, naturally.
"Check this out. I got it for you."
He got up and shoved the white plank he'd bought earlier in front of me.
'Tablet PC', was it?
Some modern gadget he blew 2 million won on.
"Like this."
He swiped the screen with his finger, and a fruit split in half.
Fruit Ninja.
Training to slice flying fruits in midair.
'Hoo...'
Curious, I pecked the black mirror (display).
Split.
The watermelon cleaved, juice splattering.
'Not bad.'
Just like slicing yokai necks back in the day.
Great feedback, and the speed stimulated my dynamic vision.
I flapped onto the screen, hopping around.
Apple, banana, bomb.
Dodge bombs, slice fruit.
Basics.
[Combo! +150 points!]
"Whoa! Dude! Are you a genius? Better than me already?"
Kang Han-gyeol clapped like a seal in awe.
Praise makes even whales dance, they say.
Not feeling bad, I rewarded him with a light nip on the finger.
Be honored, butler.
"Yeah, yeah. Having fun? Play lots. Bro's gonna rest."
He gazed at me fondly, then flopped back down and pulled the blanket over.
New goose down comforter.
Fluffy and warm.
The room filled with savory meat scent and his steady breathing.
Couldn't be more perfect.
A peace I never knew even before the Great War.
I quit the game and hopped onto his belly, curling up.
Warm.
His body heat and spiritual power enveloped me.
I decided to watch over this broken human a bit longer.
Not just for the yokai power.
His idiotic miracles seemed like they'd make fine entertainment for my bored life.
And above all... I kinda liked this dumb human.
"Sleep well, my little one."
He stroked my back with his rough hand.
Daring to touch my jade body—blasphemous... but belly full and back warm, so I'll forgive you this once.
"Pek. (You too, human.)"
I closed my eyes.
What mess he'll cause tomorrow already gives me a headache.
Whatever.
With this king watching his back,
what's there to fear?